After a while of fighting, Ryū finally understood the intensity of Ken's speed blast and his light ability, so now he knew the limit of the boy's ability.
The tall, muscular figure in the dark triad Chinese emperor-style clothes stood amidst the cracked street, red-and-gold hair slightly disheveled from the constant exchanges, golden eyes narrowed in focused calculation. Smoke still curled lazily from several scorch marks on his robe and skin, but his powerful frame remained steady as he processed every flash of light and every booming sound wave he had endured.
Then Ryū hopped backwards with a powerful push of his legs, creating distance between himself and Ken.
He raised both hands in front of his chest and began gathering different elements together in the form of a round shining ball.
Multi-colored energy swirled rapidly between his palms — threads of crackling fire twisting with streams of shimmering water, chunks of solid earth mixing with glowing light, vibrating sound waves, and flowing currents of air.
The elements merged and condensed, forming a brilliantly shining sphere that pulsed with raw, unstable power.
The air around it warped and hummed from the sheer concentration of mixed forces.
Ken saw this and immediately struck the shining ball with his light.
A searing white beam shot forward from his outstretched hand, aimed directly at the center of the growing orb.
However, the round form absorbed Ken's light instead, pulling the bright energy into itself and growing slightly brighter as it consumed the attack without any visible resistance.
The absorbed light blended seamlessly into the swirling colors, making the sphere glow even more intensely.
Then Ken used his sound wave toward Ryū as he was still forming the round ball with different elements.
He clapped his hands together sharply, unleashing a powerful invisible force of compressed sound that rushed forward with a deep, thunderous boom.
The sound wave was also absorbed.
The vibrating pulse disappeared into the shining ball without a trace, the orb simply humming louder as it incorporated the sonic energy into its chaotic mix.
Then Ryū finished forming the shining ball with different colors.
It was not quite round like a perfect ball but instead took the shape of a circular shining form, roughly the size of a basketball, pulsing with dangerous, ever-shifting hues — fiery reds and oranges swirling with deep blues of water, earthy browns, brilliant whites of light, vibrating silvers of sound, and translucent currents of air.
The entire construct crackled with barely contained power, small sparks and ripples dancing across its surface as the conflicting elements fought for dominance inside.
Then Ryū said to Ken in a calm yet threatening voice, "This is just a little ball.
I could create a lot more bigger ball of the size of the entire Tokyo… and if you get hit with just this small ball I created, you could evaporate."
Ken became cautious and stared at him, his deathly hollow eyes fixed on the dangerous circular shining form hovering between Ryū's hands.
The boy's body tensed visibly, his flat expression remaining unchanged on the surface while his posture shifted into a more defensive stance, clearly weighing the threat.
Then Ryū said to him with a serious tone, "I'll let you choose… stop chasing after Chiyo and I'll consider letting you go unharmed."
Then with a surprised impression on Ken's face after hearing Chiyo's name, his hollow stare cracked for the first time.
His eyes widened slightly and his monotone voice carried a rare hint of genuine shock as he said, "So the Dragon Lord is in love with Chiyo…"
Then Ryū, with a confused face — a clear "what? In love?" expression crossing his features, eyebrows raising and head tilting slightly — replied, "Em… well yes, I'm in love with her, and that being said you should stay away from her or else… you already know what this ball with mixture of different elements can do."
The shining circular form continued to pulse dangerously in his hands, its surface swirling with destructive potential.
Inside, visible threads of fire roared against churning water, solid earth fragments ground against vibrating sound waves, brilliant light clashed with flowing air, all compressed into one unstable, multicolored mass.
If released at full power, the mixture could easily create so much destruction to the whole of Tokyo if sent to the ground — a cataclysmic blend of every element colliding and exploding outward in unstoppable waves of fire, flooding torrents, crushing stone, blinding light, shattering sound, and tearing winds.
The air around the ball grew heavy and charged, small sparks of energy occasionally escaping and scorching the ground near Ryū's boots.
Ken remained frozen in place, staring at both the dangerous orb and the imposing Dragon Lord who now stood tall in his dark imperial attire, golden eyes locked on him with clear warning.
The previously emotionless boy showed visible tension in his shoulders and clenched fists, the mention of Chiyo having clearly thrown him off balance despite his usual flat demeanor during organization duties.
Ryū held the shining circular form steady, its multicolored light casting shifting reflections across his red-and-gold hair and the intricate golden dragon designs on his robe.
The threat hung heavily between them as the distant sounds of the city faded into the background, leaving only the low, dangerous hum of the condensed elements waiting to be unleashed.